The Heritage is held in conjunction with the Reno National Championship Air Races and celebrates aviation treasures. This endeavor is a joint effort under the auspices of Perform Air., the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Reno Air Racing Foundation, with support from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Air Transport World, Airmail Greetings, Air and Space Smithsonian Magazine, LiveAirShowTV and The Perich Group.

The National Aviation Heritage Invitational encourages preservation of aviation history through the restoration of aircraft to original flying condition. The Invitational was founded in 1998. A five-member panel, including representatives of the National Air and Space Museum, judges each aircraft on its technical merit and how well it represents the aircraft early in its career. Authenticity to the original manufacturer’s condition is the “gold standard” for each plane.